


Aurora

by Amybun



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amybun/pseuds/Amybun
Summary: 56 years have passed since defeating Jareth and solving his Labyrinth. Sarah had lived a full life in those years; she married, became a mother, and a grandmother who always entertained her family with her tales of The Underground. How she could ever have imagined the absurd thoughts from her stories, no one had a clue, not even her for quite some time. That is, until the Goblin King returns to whisk her away to the Underground once again. This time, however, he's hell-bent on keeping her at all costs.  But her granddaughter is just as determined to get her back.
Relationships: Jareth/Sarah Williams, Sarah Williams (Labyrinth) & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 20





	1. Reflections

They say that good friends are like stars: you don’t always see them, but you know they’re there. This saying rings true for many, including Sarah Williams who’s dearest friends are often unseen by those around her. Only through her mirror can she speak to them and occasionally can they cross over to the Aboveground to be with her for a short time. Those moments were treasured dearly by the characters of both realms, but there came a time when even those precious moments ceased.  
Years pass and time marches on and Sarah saw her friends less and less until they were but an old memory of what she seemed like an enchanting dream that she recalled all too well. By the time she had become a mother, she’d begun creating a children’s book that she called “The Underground” which told the tales of a young girl’s journey through the ever changing maze to save her brother. Many would compare it to Alice in Wonderland due to the silly nonsense and childlike style, yet there was always a sense of realism in the complexity of emotion and thoughts of the main character as if Sarah had experienced it firsthand.  
Her daughters Linette and Feya often did ask her about the story and its origin. Sarah would smile and wind up one of the crystal ball music boxes; she’d tell her daughters as she watched the fey king and queen dance that there are times when the faerie realm and this would nearly connect and often people would experience the other realm through dreams for they were powerful. Like their father, however, they believed that to be a rubbish answer. Her granddaughter, however, was fascinated.  
She’d always been close with her granddaughter from the day of her birth, for she would often watch her as her busy parents worked. Because of this, Ambrosia Hart grew up listening to Grandma Sarah’s adventures through the labyrinth and learned how to be clever and solve puzzles, how to dance like all the fae in the ballroom, and how to be strong and fight for friends and family.  
Ambrosia often found herself to be daydreaming of the Underground and grinning as she imagined having her own adventure there just like the girl in her grandmother’s stories. She’d be cunning and courageous and reach the castle with Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus by her side. Even as she grew older to the age of nineteen, she would visit or call her grandmother to hear the stories again and again with the same fascination as when she was a child. Something about those enchanting tales just captivated the young woman.  
Unfortunately, there comes a time in life when, like dreams and stories, things come to an end and Sarah was nearing hers. She smiled sadly up at Ambrosia who sat beside her, reciting the stories she knew so well, pausing when Sarah took her hand.  
“Are you okay, grandma? Is something wrong?”  
“No, my dear. It’s sweet of you to be with me but don’t you think you should be studying and with friends?”  
“They’re busy,” she answered quickly. “Besides, I love hanging out with you and learning so much about the Underground. I never get tired of it. I don’t know how someone can be so inspired and dream up of such a place.” It wasn’t an entire lie, she did love these moments with her. Truth be told, however, she struggled to make friends in college. Her focus was mainly on three things: passing classes, her daycare job, and taking care of her grandmother.  
“Do you want to hear a secret, Ambrosia?”  
She nodded, leaning in.  
“I really was whisked away to the Labyrinth in my youth. It’s real; all those stories, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Jareth.”  
Ambrosia smiled and sat back. Though she didn’t believe that, she entertained her, knowing how much the tales and characters meant to the other. “Was Jareth really that cruel?”  
“Not at all, but I didn’t see that then. Only after I left did I notice and soon grow fond of him.”  
“Would you ever wish yourself back to tell him or to at least see him again?”  
“No, I couldn’t. I wouldn't want him to see me like this now that I’m far too old and my own time is starting to end.”  
“Grandma,” she gasped.  
“It’s okay, Ambrosia, I’ve already accepted it. I’ve lived a wonderful and full life with no regrets. Or, well, I suppose I do have one regret.”  
“Marrying grandpa?”  
“No, Haywood is fine. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have your aunt or mother or you.”  
“Then what is your one regret?”  
“That I stopped speaking with my dearest friends…” She stared up at the ceiling with watering green eyes, allowing old memories to return to her like a hazy childhood dream. "I can't remember why I did."  
“Do you ever wish you could see them again? To go on one last adventure?”  
As she laid back and shut her eyes, she hummed, “I do. More than anything every now and again. I wish,” she murmured quietly, allowing herself to fall asleep.  
“Rest well, okay?” whispered Ambrosia as she rose from her chair and left the room. She glanced out the window, finding it had started raining. “Better hurry to class,” she muttered to herself, searching for her keys.  
Thunder crashed loudly overhead, shaking the house, just as she’d made it to the door. Ambrosia gasped, catching herself on the couch. As she steadied herself, the power shut off and she was in complete darkness. “Oh great,” she sighed, dropping her bag on the couch, searching for her phone. “Come on, where are you- aha!” Just as she readied to dial her mother’s number, there came a loud thud from her grandmother’s room. “Grandma!” she gasped. “Grandma, are you okay? Gran-” she stopped in her tracks, hearing quiet whispering from the other side of the door. Her blood ran cold, her heart pounded horribly so that it echoed loudly in her ears. She swallowed the lump in her throat and grabbed the doorknob.  
The door creaked open, allowing in the light of Ambrosia’s cellphone. Slowly, she shone the blue light around the room as she cautiously stepped in. “Grandma? Is anyone here?” Finding no one in sight, she hurried to Sarah’s bed and found that she too had gone. She gasped. “Grandma? Where are you?” As she frantically searched the area, she froze as she caught a glimpse of a man in the mirror. She rubbed her eyes with a shaky breath and took another glance into the mirror, finding the man still there. When she turned around, however, he was nowhere to be found.  
“Ambrosia, I presume?” he said as he stepped closer.  
“Who are you? Where’s my grandma?”  
“She’s alright, I’m only granting a wish that’s long overdue.”  
“What do you mean? Where’d she go? What did you-” she choked, turning again, finding the man towering over her. He was what she could only describe as otherworldly with the grace and elegance yet the dauntingness of a celestial being. He was no doubt a handsome man with alluring, unevenly dilated, blue eyes and a charming face yet he gave off an aura of near spectral or eldritch or- “You’re the fey, aren’t you? You’re the Goblin King.”  
He didn’t speak, rather he walked, observing old photos of Sarah and her family through the years.  
“That means the stories were true?”  
“Very." He hummed, narrowing his eyes at a photo of her wedding. "Oh, Sarah, why settle for-”  
“Hey!” She huffed, making her way towards the other. “I don’t care who or how powerful you are, give her back!”  
He paused and scrutinized the other closely before he gave a chuckle. “You’re just like her. I’ve heard worse, but for her granddaughter, I’ll allow this-” and in the blink of an eye, they were in a golden field with a lone tree and just beyond, in the distance, the menacing Labyrinth that Ambrosia had heard of time and time again stood.  
“Is that…”  
“It is. You seem to have somewhat of an understanding on how this works.”  
“I like to think I understand it quite well.”  
“Of course you do, you’re all the same.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You’re quite cocky and like to act as such to intimidate or impress your opponent. I warn you; your grandmother got into trouble because of that. I’d watch myself if I were you.”  
“Why are you warning me?”  
“To avoid the inevitable “that’s not fair” phrase as much as probable.”  
“Alright then. I’m assuming you have her locked away in your castle at the center and I have thirteen hours to complete this, yes?”  
“Quite smart of you, yes. I’m afraid intelligence alone won’t get you far though. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”  
“Wait a moment!” As she turned towards the other, she’d found that he’d already disappeared. She groaned. “Okay okay. It’s just a dream, Ambrosia. You can’t possibly lose in your own dream.” She stared out towards the labyrinth where either destiny or doom awaited her within the walls. “Well, I might as well enjoy it then. Can't get too comfortable though. Okay... I’m coming to save you, grandma.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Tis I, Amybun from Tumblr! By various requests, I am creating a full fanfiction based on my Labyrinth Tumblr post. If you don't want to read spoilers, I suggest you avoid Amybunmain posts that start with "I had a dream that Sarah Williams grew old" (or avoid my tumblr altogether haha). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this so far, I'm enjoying writing it so far and outlining future chapters.  
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Friends, Old and New

In a field of golden grass and skies of a hazy orange glow was where Sarah awoke with a yawn and stretch. “Where am I?” she murmured as she sat up, finding that her joints didn’t hurt. She looked herself over, discovering that her wrinkles had gone away and she was filled with the energy of her youth. “Am I dreaming? Or have I-” her heart froze at the sight of the labyrinth she would've once found menacing. Now, however, it stood, bearing only dreamy nostalgia and mysterious yet familiar wonder. “That place… Is that…”

“Sarah?” came another’s voice, followed by a gasp.

“My lady! She’s returned to us!” another voice excitedly shouts.

“Sarah!”

She turned to the sources and found faces she recalled from long ago. They grew blurrier by the moment as tears pricked her eyes. She rose, running towards the trio. “Hoggle! Sir Didymus! Ludo!” she cried out, catching the smaller two in her arms before hugging Ludo as well. “You haven’t changed a bit,” she sniffed as she wiped her eyes to get a better look at them. 

“You have though! Look at yourself! Such a fine young woman you’ve become,” said Sir Didymus.

Sarah’s smile faltered ever so slightly. “Thank you. But I’m no young lady anymore. There’s so much I need to tell you all.”

\---

Ambrosia looked back and forth between the neverending roads on either side of her. “What would grandma Sarah do?” she sighed. “Probably go down either way. But what if it’s the wrong way?” She crossed her arms and kicked a rock. It was then that she noticed faint footprints in the dirt. She looked around, searching for a sign of anyone nearby. Just as moments before, both sides were desolate and void of any life. “Well, it’s better than staying here. Can’t keep her waiting.” 

For what felt like hours, she walked until she arrived at an open area with a broken statue at the center. “What’s this?” Before her lay at least ten different paths separated by walls of stone to choose from. “It’ll take hours just to find the right one,” she groaned.

“With that attitude, it’ll take you hours just to get going,” said a voice.

Ambrosia jumped with a gasp. Behind her stood a young woman with long raven black hair and graceful features on her dark face.

“You’re here because the Goblin King took something from you, yes?”

She slowly nodded, wondering where she could’ve come from and how she didn’t notice her before.

“Then that’d mean you don’t have a lot of time to spare. I’d be on my way if I were you.”

“What if I head for the wrong one?”

“Then come back. It’d narrow down your choices, wouldn’t it?”

“Who are you? Did the Goblin King take something from you too?”

“I suppose you could say that. I’m Hazael, by the way.”

“Ambrosia and since it seems we’re in the same boat, why don’t we split up and search in different tunnels to make the process quicker?”

“I’m not keen on the splitting up part, but you have a point.”

“Okay, we’ll start on each end and make our way towards the middle.”

She gave a nod, already making her way towards the path on the other end of the room. “Good luck then.”

Before Ambrosia could reply, the other was gone. She broke into a sprint, hurrying through the bare path, save the footprints she'd left behind. She ran until her legs ached, only stopping when she tripped and nearly landed on her face. Then, in the distance, she saw an opening. Quickly, she jumped to her feet and raced towards it, slowing to a halt when she entered, grinning triumphantly until she looked around. At the center of the room was the same broken statue as before. She inspected the area, discovering it was the exact room as before when discovering her footprints in the dirt going down the first path she chose. “Okay,” she panted, “first one leads back.” She stretched her legs for a moment before running into the next path.

Two. Five. Ten paths later, and all were the same as the first in that they eventually led back to the open area with the broken statue at the center. The young girl screamed in frustration and waited for the other to return from whatever path she may have taken. Surely, she’d meet the same fate and discover that all the paths lead back. 

Minutes passed, then what felt like half an hour and still no sign of the other. “Hazael,” she called. With no response, she had to assume that either the labyrinth changed in the midst of travelling through the paths or she did find a way out and abandoned her. Either way was upsetting. With a huff, she sat beside the broken statue, attempting to wrap her head around this puzzle. It was then, in the corner of her eye, that she noticed a small crack in between the foot of the statue and the floor. Ambrosia brushed away the dirt, finding that the defined crevice followed around the statue and to a set of small hinges between the base and the ground. Curiously, she pushed the statue until it tipped over with a crack and another piece of it fell off. 

She coughed as she waved away the dust and dirt, gasping as she stared in shock at a hole with a rusted ladder adorned with cobwebs. She screamed in frustration upon realizing she’d wasted an hour or probably more just to find the answer to her problem before her all this time. 

As much as she wanted to call upon the Goblin King to argue with him then and there, she knew it’d be a futile action and only waste time. With a mental note on checking each object from then on, she carefully grasped the rungs of the ladder and descended into the darkness beneath the labyrinth.

\---

“She’s just solved the first puzzle,” said Jareth as he watched the young girl disappear into the cavern entrance. Nervously, he glanced at the chiming clock. “Ten hours to go. Honestly believed she’d be stuck on that one for most of her time here.”

“Intervention?” Suggested a small goblin who excitedly grabbed the nearest spear.

“No, none of that yet; this is only the beginning. With how she faced this challenge, she won’t make it remotely close to the Goblin City in time.” Jareth rose from his throne, setting the crystal ball at the center of the room. “Make preparations for the worst though.” On that note, he turned on his heels and dashed for his personal chambers which the dozens of present goblins found to be odd, though none had the courage to say a word. 

The light illuminated the room as the curtains slid open. From the window, the Goblin King emerged to sit on the edge and beheld the orange and golden hues that filled the Underground skies. From there, he materialized another crystal ball and watched as it displayed Sarah Williams with the phantom images of her companions from long ago. A sigh escaped from his lips as he gazed with yearning. “Less than ten hours, precious.”

\---

“Two children?” gasped Didymus.

Sarah nodded. “Yes, Linette and Feya.”

“Sounds like the Underground influenced your choice in names.”

“Yes and the husband wasn’t too enthused about that but, of course, I was set on those names and they stuck. I also have a granddaughter, Ambrosia.”

“Ambrosia?”

“That may have been my influence. Linette and Feya aren’t interested in magic or fantasy, but Ambrosia loves it. She grew up hearing stories all about this place. She reminds me of myself when I was younger. Kind of looks like me too, in a way.”

“It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen you, Sarah,” said Hoggle. “You’ve got kids and a grandchild and a husband-”

“Oh no, I’ve been divorced for years now.”

“Still, I can’t believe it. It feels like only a decade since we last saw you. It looks like that too. You look older, but definitely not old enough to be a grandmother.”

“I suppose even in dreams, there must be some question of logic," she hummed. "Maybe it’s magic that brought me back to my youth?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. There’s been all sorts of changes in the labyrinth and magic and puzzles were a part of it.”

“How so?”

“Dreams for one,” said Didymus. “They’ve become more alluring and far more difficult to escape.”

“And then there’s elemental magic,” Hoggle added. “Some parts of the labyrinth have different seasons or intense environments depending on certain fey magic. Certain areas turned unusually breathtaking for this place, but I guess that’s part of the trap. Then I’ve heard that other areas have turned into blizzards or the inside of a volcano.”

“Monsters!” said Ludo.

“Ah yes,” Didymus chimed, “different and more difficult monsters have made the labyrinth their home. Fear not though, they are really nothing to be cowered over. The worst I’ve heard was supposedly a worm of sorts.”

“Then shall we have another adventure?” Sarah grinned as they approached the doors to the labyrinth.

“Need you even ask that, my lady?” laughed Sir Didymus before giving a piercing whistle. “Ambrosius,” he called. 

From behind a group of trees emerged an old english sheepdog with a brightly coloured saddle who trotted towards the group and stood at Sarah’s side with an excited wag in his tail.

She grinned, kneeling to pet the old dog that resembled her own from long ago. If the knight hadn’t mounted him and began to trot towards the entrance, she would’ve embraced the dog and never let go. She was well aware he wasn’t Merlin, but Ambrosius reminded her so much of him.

As she stood, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the murky pond and for a moment, the familiar face of the Goblin King beside her. "Jare-" she gasped, turning though finding no one on either side nor behind her. Upon looking into the water once more, she found he’d disappeared.

“Is something wrong,” asked Hoggle.

“No,” she replied dazedly. “No, it’s nothing.” Looking to her friends once more, she grinned and dashed to join them at the entrance where they were immediately met with two paths. “Okay, should we go right or left?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you're all staying safe and warm and I hope my dear Texans have regained power and water again. This snowstorm was dreadful but hopefully it's come to an end and it warms up again. Stay safe!  
> I will try to update every Sunday, but this weather's been horrid and because of that, I'm now flooded with many assignments (found the scenery to be lovely and inspiring though).  
> As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	3. Too Many Riddles and Questions

Shrouded in the cloak of darkness, Ambrosia treaded carefully through what sounded like a cavern. With arms outstretched, she searched her surroundings until she found something that made her sigh in relief: a wall. A wet and jagged wall of rock caked with what felt like mud or some sort of sludge that seemed to ooze from every crevice. Cautiously, she followed it along in the pitch black room with soft echoing droplets and her own footsteps accompanying her.

For who knows how long and who knows how far, she continued onward, regardless of the seemingly endless abyss that trailed for miles before and behind her. Then, as she trailed her hand along the wall, she found a dip that exuded the sludge upon disturbance, splatting on the floor with loud echoes that startled the young woman. Pausing for only a moment, she glanced at the wall and found a stone that emitted its own faint glow of light blue. 

Curiously, she wiped more of the mud off, finding another glowing stone. Soon, enough light had shone to dimly illuminate the area, revealing outlines of openings to more passages on the opposite end of the wall. Ambrosia stepped towards one of the openings and wiped away the mud, hoping to find more stones as before. Upon finding none, she looked through the next few, pausing when she unveiled more rocks. From there, she tread through that tunnel, wiping away the mud from the wall as she did so until the trail of stones halted and from above, faint light peeked through small holes. 

Ascending, removing the barrier, she found herself in yet another room with six doors bearing six different symbols representing what she believed to be earth, air, water, fire, sun, and moon.

“A human? In the Labyrinth?” A much older woman’s voice croaked.

“Who said that?” gasped Ambrosia.

“Right here,” said another’s low gravelly voice.

Inspecting the doors much closer, she found that the decor at the tops of the door had faces.

“Hello,” said the Moon with a beaming smile.

“Hi? What puzzle is this supposed to be?”

“Well, we’re doors,” said the Sun. “There’s a riddle somewhere and you’re supposed to choose which one of us to go through.”

“But only one of us in this room leads closer to the castle, one leads to certain doom, and the rest lead to other parts of the labyrinth. Where you’ll end up, none of us know,” warned the Fire.

“Riddles,” Ambrosia sighed in relief. “That’s not so bad. I’m usually good at those. Alright then. What’s the puzzle?”

“None of us know that either,” said the Water, “it’s written somewhere we can’t see.”

The girl glanced up, finding text had appeared above the doors. “That wasn’t there before,” she murmured.

“What’s it say?” the Air gasped.

"Round she is, yet flat as a board. Altar to the lupine lords. Jewel on black velvet, pearl in the sea. Unchanged, yet e'rchanging, eternally." 

“Oh my,” said Earth, “that’s a difficult one. It’ll probably take you-”

“It’s the moon,” she interjected. 

“How do you know for sure?” asked the Moon. 

“It’s simple,” she hummed. “Round, “jewel on black” refers to the night sky, moons are compared to white pearls, unchanging yet ever changing means the moon phases, and lupine refers to lupus which is latin for “wolf” which also has connections to the moon. It’s the moon. I bet my life on that.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready to pay up if you’re wrong,” huffed the Sun.

“I’m not wrong,” she said as she turned the knob and exited the room through the door with the moon symbol. As the door disappeared behind her, five doors appeared before her: all with the same symbols as before, minus the moon.

“So you lived,” said the Sun. “I still wouldn’t let that go to your head.”

Ambrosia did not hear a word, as she was focused on the text above this set of doors. “What goes uphill faster than it goes downhill?”

\---

“So what exactly happened after I left?” Sarah asked as the group carried on their way.

“What do you mean,” asked Hoggle.

“The last I remember from being here is the castle, and well, the whole labyrinth, falling apart, yet it looked just fine from the fields earlier. Did you all fully rebuild? What happened to the goblins? I know we'd speak through the mirror, but I never really could see anything behind you all.”

“Clearly, we did rebuild the Labyrinth eventually, after Jareth was given time to heal.”

“You mean sulk.”

“No, heal. After he did, he actually focused more on the goblins and those who resided in the labyrinth. He didn’t just add more challenging puzzles and distractions, he actually provided homes. Like with the different environments we talked about earlier; some fey folk live and thrive in those conditions.”

Sarah observed their surroundings, noticing how the walls really did appear sturdier and recalled the more abundant flora in some of the areas they’d passed not too long ago. “And the Goblin City? What happened there?”

“Better conditions and more challenging security. The castle was rebuilt as well. Shall we try and make it there so you may see it with your own eyes, my lady?” asked Didymus.

As much as she genuinely wanted to see for herself, the thought of running into the Goblin King himself twisted her stomach into knots. “No, it’s probably best that we don’t. I’d like to see some of the elemental magic for myself though. I hope we come across that.”

“We just might.”

“So,” she hesitated, “Jareth was healing?”

“For a good few years, yeah,” said Hoggle. “Losing you was difficult for him, but it’s opened his eyes in a way.”

“Has it?”

“It definitely humbled him. He learned to let go and to focus on others.”

“I find that hard to believe,” she chuckled. "Oh my, just the thought of Jareth actually-" she trailed off, her laugh immediately stopping when she noticed the others were staring at her seriously. 

“He’s not entirely bad, really.”

As the other’s continued their trek down a long passageway, Sarah paused and gaped at their sincerity and the knots in her stomach tightened. Furrowing her eyebrows, she caught up. “That can’t be true, Hogshead.”

“Why not? People change, even if they’re fey,” he hummed, leading her and the others towards a familiar pair of red and blue guards standing before their doors.

\---

Ambrosia glared at the door that scowled back. “Just you and me now, Sun. I’ve solved all the other riddles and now it’s come down to this. Where’s the final riddle?”

“How would I know, you exasperating wench?” He sighed with annoyance. “We didn’t even know where the other ones were, you should’ve noticed that.”

“Yes, but you’re the final door. Surely the rules have altered, even if just a little bit. Although,” she thought as she glanced around the empty room once more, “it’s strangely barren. Not many places to hide a puzzle, and so far I can’t find a hidden passage. Do you have the riddle? Are you supposed to tell me?”

“If I did, I would’ve said it already. Hell, I would’ve told you the answer if I could.”

“Why would you do that?”

“To get rid of you; my patience had worn thin from the moment you entered.”

She huffed as she began inspecting the stone walls closely, occasionally brushing away dust and dirt.

“You’ll never get out of this with that method,” said the Sun.

“Well you haven’t got a better idea,” she snapped.

“He’s right though,” said a familiar voice.

Ambrosia turned, finding the girl from before standing at what used to be the room’s entrance that'd turned into but another stone wall. “Hazael? How’d you get here? Wait- where were you? How’d you solve the first puzzle?”

“Kind of like what just happened; I went down the path and found a door. When I solved its riddle and went through, it disappeared. I would’ve gone back though, honest.”

She scrutinized the other, noticing by her more tired and unkempt appearance that'd she'd faced difficult trials on her own since their last meeting. She crossed her arms with a huff. “Well whether I believe you or not doesn’t matter right now, we’re stuck in here and I could use your help getting out.”

Hazael nodded. “I understand completely. What do we do here?”

“Not sure. I can’t find the riddle or any other puzzle so far and the Sun is no help,” she said as she returned her glare back to the door that growled at her.

“Well, maybe it’s just a door?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Seeing as there are no other doors or riddles, there is a chance it could be just a regular door.”

“That can’t be it though. This labyrinth is riddled with tricks, it could be a diversion from the real exit. I’m just not seeing it.”

She raised an eyebrow and observed the door closely before opening it.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” warned Ambrosia. “Chances are, it’s a door that leads to certain doom or to another part of the labyrinth.”

“Or it could lead closer to the castle.”

“I guess, but I really-”

“Those are good odds. Whether it leads to a different part of the labyrinth or the castle, either beat staying here. To remain idle _is_ certain doom in this place.”

She gasped as the other stepped through, reaching out to stop her before it was too late. But nothing happened. Hazael stood on the other side of the door, looking around the area before back at Ambrosia. 

“It’s fine,” she hummed, reaching out to take the other’s hand. “Come on, we’ve wasted enough time here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, wonder what's up with Huggle?  
> Side note: Riddles here did not belong to me, this geek borrowed them from d&d compendium's online D100 Riddle Table collection (which I highly recommend looking at if you're a dm, author in need of riddles, or just really enjoy riddles. I myself am all of the above haha).  
> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and have a nice week! Already working on the next chapter, hopefully there are no further delays. 
> 
> Until then, dear readers!


	4. Broken Mirrors

“Isn’t that the same girl from last time?”

“Yes, I believe it is!”

“Didn’t she fall to her doom though?”

“Clearly not if she defeated the King last time.”

Sarah stared at the guards talking amongst themselves, still mildly miffed at her last encounter with them. “This puzzle really wasn’t all that fair,” she muttered.

“You said that so often,” said Hoggle. “I wonder what your basis for comparison was.”

Her eyes widened as she glanced at the other. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing,” he replied quickly. “But really, compared to some of the newer puzzles and riddles or the ones you didn’t even see last time, you had it fairly easy for the most part.”

She stepped closer to the red and blue guards, eyeing Hoggle suspiciously before turning towards the others. “The rules remain the same, yes?”

“That it does!” exclaimed the guards in blue.

“One of us always tells the truth while the other always lies,” continued the guards in red.

“Alright then. I’ve got another yes or no question for you,” she said to the guards in red. “Would he tell me that this is the real Hoggle?”

\---

“There we go; just give a know-it-all something simple and they’ll waste so much precious time overthinking it,” Jareth chuckled as he watched Ambrosia argue with Hazael in the room with the door decorated with the Sun. “I hardly have to intervene, there’s no way she’ll solve it, even with help.”

“Are you sure, your majesty? You seemed so certain last time as well, before-”

“Before what, Grimes,” he snapped, glaring at the goblin that’d dared to speak up before, now cowering behind one if its taller companions.

“No-nothing your-your majesty! Should we remain cautious though? In-in case if,” he stammered, curling up behind the taller goblin as he watched the Goblin King rise from his throne. 

“Do you lack faith in your King?”

“No! Not at all!”

He hummed, turning his stern gaze to the other goblins. “And the rest of you? Well?”

The sea of goblins in the throne room shook their heads with murmurs of “no”, though, to Jareth, their mere nonverbal manner in this display said far more in suggesting the opposite.

He clenched his jaw and straightened. “Very well then. Make preparations for the worst if you must.” And with that, he made his way to his personal chambers. As he reached his room, he sat on his bed with a groan, pushing his stray hairs back as he took deep breaths. “Lost your head and kingdom over a girl and they’ll never let you live it down,” he muttered before conjuring a crystal ball. “Speaking of which, how is-”

“Jareth you lying son of a-”

“How did she find out!” he shrieked, watching the fuming woman scream furiously into the skies. 

“If you don’t show yourself, I’ll tear down this place too!”

“Well good luck with that.” Truth be told, her friends in the crystal ball were honest when describing the rebuilt labyrinth and the new traps and puzzles, including this illusion. Regardless, the dream was over and there was no point in attempting to convince her any further. Besides, they hadn’t spoken in years, he’d enjoy the attention, even if she were cross at the moment. Turning towards the mirror, he tossed the crystal. Instead of shattering on impact, it disappeared into the mirror and rippled until his reflection was replaced with Sarah’s stiff figure and vexed expression. “Hello, precious,” he smiled.

\---

“How did you know it wasn’t a trap?” Ambrosia asked the other.

“I didn’t. This labyrinth is weird though, it’s always got unexpected solutions to even the simplest of puzzles.”

“You don’t say.” 

“So,” Hazael began, “what brings you here exactly?”

“My grandmother. Jareth’s taken her, saying he was granting an overdue wish; I’m here to get her back.”

“An overdue wish?”

“It definitely wasn’t my wish, I can only assume he meant hers.” She sighed, recalling the last conversation she’d had with the other before she was taken. “What about you? Accidental wish?”

“In a way? My brother was here years ago, attending a ball. It was designed to be a trap for this young girl, but he was excited to go regardless.” She swallowed, turning, disappearing behind a seemingly solid wall.

Ambrosia followed. “What happened?”

“He never returned. We heard the labyrinth and the Goblin City had fallen and had to assume the worst. But, years later, we learned about survivors and how it’s been rebuilt, so maybe I can find him and bring him home. Watch your step here.”

“I hope you find him, Hazael,” she sighed. “I can’t imagine what that must be like.”

“Horrible doesn’t even begin to describe it, I’ll tell you that. I’m hoping for the best here, but I’m prepared for the worst.”

“I wish I could say the same. I don’t think anything could ever prepare me for the worst, definitely not for this situation.”

“Well then it’s my wish you won’t have to. Hope is a horrible thing to lose, especially when it’s the only thing you’ve got.”

The pair fell silent, treading comfortably so until they came across a fork in the road. Hazael paused, glancing down the identical paths.

“What do you think? Should we go left or right?”

“Not sure,” she murmured, “both paths look unused. I’d suggest that we split up again, but who knows what lies ahead. Danger? Another puzzle? Yet another separation, even. Besides, even if we did split up and at least one of the paths are fine, it’d be a waste of time to run back and find each other again, only to trek back and risk it changing.”

“So what do you suggest we do?”

“I suppose the only thing we can do is go down one together. If it’s wrong, at least we’ll both know at the same time and go on down the other.”

Ambrosia nodded, following the other down the left path which wasn’t nearly as barren as any other path they’d treaded before. Along the winding road, an abundance of grass and flora; specifically purple flowers, almost aster yet orchid in appearance. She hummed, her vision slowly turning hazy as she took in the sweet, calming scent emitting from the flowers.

“Ambrosia? Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she giggled. “It’s just lovely here, it smells like lavenders and roses and—“

“Oh no. Hang in there, alright? Try not to breathe too much.”

“Why not?” She grinned, holding on to the other for balance as her legs began to numb.

Hazael gasped, quickly securing her as she continued, dragging her along. “It must be the flowers; their smell is doing something to you.”

“Why are you okay?”

“Maybe because I’m fey or can’t smell. Probably the latter.”

“Really? You remind me of someone from my grandma’s stories. You’re more sane though.”

“Who is your grandmother by the way?”

“Sarah?” came a voice in the distance. “Doth mine own eyes deceive me? You’ve returned! Ambrosius, quickly!”

Ambrosia looked up to the best of her ability as her eyes had grown heavy and she struggled to hold up her own head at this point. From what she caught a glimpse of, she found a small furry dog mounted on a larger dog that bounded his way towards the pair. “Oh how cute,” she chuckled. “They look like the characters in…” 

“Ambrosia?” Hazael glanced over, finding the other had fallen unconscious. 

“You there! As the knight of this labyrinth, I ask you to kindly unhand the lady this instant!” Said the small dog creature.”

“Good sir,” said Hazael, “my friend could be in danger because of these flowers. She can’t walk or even stay awake right now. Please, help us get through.”

“If that’s so, then how are neither of us affected by it?”

“I can’t smell and perhaps that’s the same for you-”

“Oh what nonsense! T’was my acute sense of smell that brought the Goblin King himself to have me guard this area.”

“Then maybe it was another reason, but regardless, she needs to get out of here.”

He eyed both of the girls before turning his noble steed. “Very well; for an old friend, anything. Come along, this way.”

She nodded, following close behind the other until they’d made it through the area. Carefully, Hazael laid the other down and looked her over, searching for her pulse and breath. She sighed in relief when she felt a faint yet steady thump just below her jaw. “She’s okay, though I don’t know when the effects will wear-”

“Sarah! Sarah, my lady, now is not the time to be sleeping!”

Ambrosia gasped as the other shook her shoulder, then yapped loudly when Hazael pulled him away.

“Unhand me this instant, fiend!”

“Quiet you! You’re not supposed to be shaking an unconscious person!” she whispered.

“What happened? Did we make it out? How much time passed?”

“You’re awake!”

“Sarah! Thank goodness you’re alright! What brings you back? What happened? What-”

“Sarah? You mean grandma Sarah?”

“Grandma?”

“I’m her granddaughter, Ambrosia,” she groaned, squinting her eyes as she looked at the other closely. “You’re him, aren’t you? Sir Didymus the nobel knight.”

“Why, that I am. You’re her granddaughter you say? You’re sure you’re not Sarah herself?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “My name is Ambrosia Hart.”

The creature’s face fell as he took a closer look at the other. “Oh, well, I’m sorry for my mistake. How astounding that lady Sarah had become a mother and grandmother though. It’s an honor to meet you, Ambrosia,” he grinned.

“I’m honored to meet you as well. My grandmother has told me so much about you and this place.”

“Ah, well, that’s rather kind of her to do so! Not that it surprises me, we’ve had quite the journey here, our small band of friends.”

“I know, she’d tell me the stories often. Good knight, if you will, could you lead me and my friend to the center of the labyrinth?”

“There is nothing that I would love more! Unfortunately, I cannot.”

“Why not?” asked Hazael.

“You see, I was given the task of making rounds through this area and I must finish doing so. It’s actually my duty to keep people from trespassing. I only brought you both this far because I was led to believe you were injured.”

“Please,” said Hazael. “My friend and I are both on noble missions to get our family back. My brother was trapped here since the labyrinth fell years ago, I’m here to bring him home.”

“Noble indeed,” he sighed, “I’m afraid I can’t help much though. I can’t take you to the center, but I’ll lead you as far as I can without abandoning my area.”

“That’s fair, thank you.”

As the pair followed the knight and his steed, Ambrosia spoke, asking questions of an older time when her grandmother had ventured through the labyrinth herself, much to the other’s delight. 

“It was a truly wondrous adventure indeed!”

“I know,” sighed Ambrosia, “I’d often dream about having my own adventures here or meeting you or Ludo or Hoggle, or even just wondering what happened after the Goblin King was defeated.”

“Well, now you can do most of those! As for that last part, I can tell you myself! After Sarah had defeated the Goblin King, the castle began to crumble, as did the entire Goblin City and most of the labyrinth. We were nearly plunged into complete darkness as His Majesty sulked and grieved over his shattered heart. Through time, however, the sun did shine again and he grew as a person and king. We’ve rebuilt the labyrinth, the city, and his castle and he became more… Benevolent, I believe that’d be the correct word. Learning to let go of Sarah did good to him and his subjects.”

“But if all that is true, why’s he hellbent on keeping my grandma?”

Ambrosius screeched to a halt. Sir Didymus paused and looked up at Ambrosia with wide eyes. “I beg your pardon?”

“That’s why I’m here. He took my grandmother, Sarah and now I’ve got to solve the labyrinth to get her back.”

“He did what! We must rescue Sarah! Who knows what could happen if you lose! Tally ho, Ambrosius!” Before the others were given the time to respond, the knight’s steed bounded onwards in long, quick strides.

The pair sprinted after them, struggling to keep up until the dog began to slow to a walk, panting heavily.

“Ambrosious, now is not the time!” said Sir Didymus. “Our lady Sarah could be in danger, we need to get the others quickly!”

“The others,” huffed Ambrosia as she fell to her knees, gasping to regain her breath. “You mean-”

“Of course! We need Sir Ludo and Sir Hoggle as well. Also, when we do save her, I’m sure they’d love to catch up with her just as much as I would. Though it’s been a long time since we’ve spoken, she’s still our friend and we wouldn’t dare abandon her in her time of need.”

“That’s kind of you, all of you…”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did she leave?”

As Sir Didymus helped her up, she caught a glimpse of his saddened eyes. “I suppose,” she hesitated, “I guess she felt she needed to grow up.”

“Grow up?”

“Well…”

“Where she’s from,” said Hazael, “certain things are viewed as childish which they don’t consider to be acceptable for adults. I guess that included-”

“Us?”

Ambrosia kneeled, hugging the knight tightly. “I’m sorry, Sir Didymus. She always called you all her dearest friends though and it always sounded like she cherished you guys.”

“It’s quite alright, dear Ambrosia,” he smiled as she let go. “I suppose I wish we had just a bit more time or we were given a warning or even a farewell to us. If we had known… Well, I suppose there’s no use in dwelling on that now. Either way, she still needs us.”

They pair watched as he climbed upon his steed once more with a melancholic gaze and continue on down the barren stone road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Didn't get much of a spring break myself but I hope the rest of y'all had a more enjoyable week of fun and relaxation, spring break or not! (Even if you're reading this in the future, I hope your week was good!)
> 
> Been planning these next few chapters for a pretty good while now, I hope I can do my ideas justice and bring enjoyment to you guys. That being said, the next chapter is already in progress!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful week! (^-^)/)


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